6 Ways Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 18 Teases Rick’s Return

Zombie Season 11 has just been released, and it dropped a series of hints suggesting Rick Grimes will make a comeback before the movie ends. Andrew Lincoln left Zombie in Season 9. When a mysterious helicopter takes Rick’s ailing body to an unknown location, there is plenty of unfinished business left behind. In the Season 11 finale, many speculated that Rick would return for the final episode and resolve some lingering plot threads.

Andrew Lincoln has returned to AMC’s Zombie spin-off franchise with Michonne, bridging the gap between then and now in Zombie Season 11. While it is not yet confirmed whether Rick will come back to the main show, Zombie Season 11, Episode 18 (“The New Deal”), provided several clues pointing in that direction – some subtler than others. The hints range from thematic allusions to indirect references to Rick’s disappearance. Although some clues may be designed purely for nostalgia purposes, others may carry more significant weight.

judith’s prologue

Starting with the final third of Season 11, each episode opens with an introduction by Cailey Fleming’s Judith, accompanied by memorable scenes from previous seasons. The montage of Episode 18 focuses on Daryl Dixon, but also mentions Rick Grimes in a few key ways. First, Judith utters the words “Whoever goes will never lose” as soon as Rick appears on screen, possibly alluding to her father’s reappearance in Season 11. Even more convincingly, Judith’s opening for “New Deal” places significant emphasis on Daryl and Rick’s brotherhood. Of course, Daryl Dixon refuses to believe that Rick died in Season 9 and spends months searching for traces of his missing friend by the river. Daryl is determined to reunite with Rick and realizes that sooner or later his beliefs cannot be misplaced. Judith’s latest introduction intentionally or not magnifies that moment.

Lance’s CRM Tips

Rick Grimes was last seen being taken away by helicopter during a zombie attack. The helicopter belonged to the Citizens Republican Army, a secretive group that protects one of the largest communities on Earth from the zombie threat. What happened to Rick after that is unclear, but Michonne found evidence of his survival on a ship and Jadis hinted that CRM discovered him in The Walking Dead: The Afterlife. However, it remains unexplained why Rick hasn’t returned to Alexandria or where he’s been all this time. In Season 11, Episode 18, Lance Hornsby ominously mentions a “Federation ally” and suggests that CRM and the Commonwealth have made some sort of agreement. This could potentially bring Rick Grimes closer to returning in Part 11 of the series.

Rick’s gun is back

Rick Grimes’ weapon of choice was the Colt Python, which he used in season 1 against zombies. However, he left it behind when he disappeared in season 9. In a recent episode, Daryl Dixon gives the gun to Judith, but she initially turns it down because she wants a brighter and less violent future. Eventually, after the confirmation of a slightly bloody future, Judith changes her mind and decides to keep the gun. She had previously used this gun in earlier seasons but lost access to it after joining the Commonwealth community. The reappearance of the Colt Python so close to the end of the zombie outbreak may have been designed to evoke memories of Rick’s past. Moreover, it reminds viewers of its location so that if Rick returns for season 11, he can retrieve his favorite weapon seamlessly.

Carol and Daryl discuss Rick

In Season 11, Episode 18 of the zombie series, the opening scene and Colt Python are not the only reminders of Rick Grimes. The episode features a conversation between Daryl (played by Norman Reedus) and Carol (played by Melissa McBride) about Rick’s absence. They are searching for Judith, who has run away from home, and Daryl questions Carol’s suitability as a parent, asking “what would he do?” to which Carol responds “Rick isn’t here.” The mention of Rick constantly reminds the audience of his character.

Furthermore, there is a special emphasis on Daryl’s desire to make Rick proud and treat him like a brother. The groundwork may be being laid for the long-awaited return of Andrew Lincoln. It is interesting to note that while Glenn is mentioned in the last season 11 episode, it focuses on what Glenn wants, whereas conversations about Rick often end with someone wishing he were still around. These conversations reflect on the past and future respectively.

Judith still hasn’t told anyone Michonne’s secret

When Michonne discovered a clue about Rick Grimes’ survival, she only confided in Judith, who has kept the news a secret ever since. In Season 11, Episode 18, at Gabriel’s church, Judith and Daryl share a heart-to-heart conversation. Judith gets an opportunity to tell Daryl about Michonne’s discovery while he opens up about parenting and the grim reality of their world without Rick. However, Judith doesn’t reveal the truth about Rick being alive. From a TV show perspective, it is evident that Judith is keeping this information under wraps because revealing it could shock Darryl Dixon and jeopardize the show’s endgame – a zombie apocalypse.

Darryl broke his promise to Judith

In an emotional exchange between Daryl and Judith, Norman Reedus’ character promises his surrogate daughter, “But either way, you’re with me.” However, viewers already know that Daryl broke his promise because he was about to shoot a spin-off series in France when The Walking Dead came to an end. Unless Judith dies or Daryl takes her with him – both of which seem unlikely – Daryl will be the latest in a long line of parents to abandon Judith Grimes. Although there could be a better explanation if Rick and/or Michonne return in Season 11 of The Walking Dead and reunite with their children, leaving Uncle Daryl free to adventure to Europe without breaking his promise to Judith in “New Deal”.

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